Neighbor cell information is used to facilitate mobility in many types of communication systems, such as a communication system compliant with the GSM/EDGE radio access network (GERAN) specifications (where GSM refers to “global system for mobile communications” and EDGE refers to “enhanced data rates for GSM evolution”). In a GERAN communication system, network cell system information is used by a mobile station to perform mobility procedures including, but not limited to, cell reselection and delayed call re-establishment. For example, in some cell reselection operating modes, such as when network assisted cell change (NACC) is enabled, the mobile station's serving cell provides the mobile station with neighbor cell system information for the target neighbor cell (or potential target cell or cells) of the reselection procedure. The mobile station can then use this neighbor cell system information to access the target neighbor cell directly upon reselection, without having to first receive messages broadcast in the target cell containing the target cell's system information. However, in a conventional implementation, after reselection is triggered, the network typically provides and the mobile station typically waits to receive a sufficient set of neighbor cell system information before concluding the reselection procedure to acquire the target neighbor cell.
In a GERAN communication system supporting call re-establishment, a mobile station experiencing a radio link failure during a call can re-establish the call with a neighbor cell without user intervention, provided the mobile station can acquire and establish a connection with the target neighbor call within a specified time period. However, in a conventional implementation, the mobile station typically waits to receive some or all of the system information broadcast by the target neighbor cell before initiating call re-establishment. The time taken to receive the target cell's broadcast system information can consume a significant amount of the specified completion time period and, thus, impact whether call re-establishment can be completed successfully. Reselection and call re-establishment are but two examples of mobility procedures in which a mobile station in a conventional GERAN system typically waits to receive sufficient neighbor cell system information from a serving cell or the neighbor cell itself before concluding the mobility procedure.